A U.S. based lobby group, the Irish-US Driver's License Exchange Committee, is requesting a hearing before the Oireachtas Committee on Transport.
The request is part of an effort to make it easier for license holders from the U.S. to more quickly obtain an Irish license.
In a letter to the cathaoirleach (chairman) of the committee, Michael Murphy TD, and the committee members, Ciaran Staunton of the Exchange Committee has formally requested an opportunity to testify before the Oireachtas panel.
Staunton states in the letter: "I am writing on behalf of the Irish-US Driver’s License Exchange Committee, a recently established committee and campaign focused on advocating for the reciprocal exchange of driver’s licenses between Ireland and selected US States to request the opportunity to present to the Oireachtas Committee on Transport.
"Our campaign is based in The United States and Ireland and is focused on addressing a longstanding issue faced by returning Irish emigrants and American citizens living in Ireland: the lack of reciprocal driver’s license exchange agreements between Ireland and key U.S. states. Inspired real-life experiences encountered by those returning home, our objective is to eliminate this unnecessary barrier through the introduction of bilateral license reciprocity agreements.
"This is the first time such a coordinated, transatlantic initiative has been launched, supported by a broad coalition of stakeholders and prominent leaders in both jurisdictions. Our work aligns directly with the Programme for Government, which has committed to work to facilitate the easier return to Ireland for emigrants, including reciprocal driving license arrangements with the USA, Australia and Canada and the creation of a one-stop-support to assist with obtaining PPS numbers and other administrative issues’
"We are initially focusing our efforts on seven U.S. states with large Irish communities and strong cultural, ancestral, and economic ties: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Massachusetts, Illinois, and California.
"While other European countries — such as Germany and France — have established successful reciprocity agreements with U.S. states, Ireland currently has no such agreements in place. This leaves returning citizens facing a complex, time-consuming, and often costly licensing process that does not apply to drivers from other recognized states. We believe this is an outdated gap that needs to be urgently addressed.
"Our committee is actively mapping the U.S. regulatory landscape to identify the most feasible paths forward and would welcome the opportunity to share our findings and recommendations with the Committee.
"We request the opportunity to attend and present at an upcoming meeting of the Committee on Transport at your earliest convenience. We are confident that collaboration with the Committee will be key to advancing this important initiative. Thank you for considering our request. We look forward to your response.
More on the Exchange Committee at https://www.irishlicenseexchange.com.
